The purpose of this study was to determine the best prediction factors of traditional rowing performance in traditional elite (ER) and amateur (AR) rowers. Average power during the 20-min all-out test (W(20 min)), average power output which elicited a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol l(-1) (W(4 mmol l(-1))), power output in 10 maximal strokes (W(10 strokes)), maximal strength and muscle power output during a bench pull (BP) and anthropometric values were all measured for 46 trained male rowers aged 21-30 with 8-15 years of rowing training experience. The ER group showed greater body mass (5%, p < 0.05), greater fat free body mass (5%, p < 0.05), greater 1RM(BP) (13%, p < 0.001), longer training experience (43%, p < 0.001), and a shorter time in the 2,000 m test (4%, p < 0.05) than the AR group. The ER group showed higher power output values in W(10 strokes) (9%, p < 0.01), W(20 min) (15.4%, p < 0.01) and (W(4 mmol l(-1))) (17.8%, p < 0.01) compared with the AR group. Significant relationships were observed between (W(4 mmol l(-1))) and W(20 min) (r = 0.65 and 0.80; p < 0.01 in ER and AR, respectively). The indices for rowing performance suggested that W(20 min), (W(4 mmol l(-1))), W(10 strokes) and 1RM(BP) were the most important predictors of traditional rowing performance in elite and amateur rowers.